The Odds Aren't In My Favor
by Mitzia
Summary: Kagome's brother Sota gets picked for the 13th annual Hunger Games. She volunteers for him and then, just her luck, her former crush, InuYasha gets picked. Now she has to fight the other twenty-one tributes in a fight to the death to survive and return to her family. Can she do it alone or will she have to rely on InuYasha more than she'd like? T for language and violence
1. Chapter 1

The morning was worse than it had usually been. Every day was usually the same, but today it was worse. It was reaping day.

All the district's children had to specially prepare themselves for the reaping, as it would be shown on every screen in Panem. In the early morning light, kids were washing their tired and worn bodies in freezing cold water to scrape the dirt off their skin. Elderly women painted their grandchildren's faces in pretty colors while others straightened how their best clothes.

I on the other hand had to go hunting. I ran down a beaten down path only I knew of. There old tree in the middle of the path stood tall and strong for as long as I could remember. Even when I cut a hole in it and hollowed it out for my weapons, not even the annual hurricanes could stop it. I kept my hunting tools in there because if anyone else found them, my family and I would be tortured and executed on the spot.

I shoved my hand in the tree and found my bow and arrows, my favorite weapon. My shots always hit the mark. I walked towards the nearby field where my preys always had their meals. I crouched down low, making sure I wasn't spotted.

A large, magnificent deer standing tall and proud in the center of the field caught my eye and I knew what my family was eating tonight. My hand quickly grabbed an arrow and set up my shot. The deer didn't move.

Perfect.

"Kagome! Where are you?! Oh! There you are! Hey, Kagome!"

Right when I released the arrow, someone shouted behind me, making my prey run away with hitting the bow.

Not so perfect.

"Hojo! You know I could have bagged that deer! What's wrong with you?!" I yelled. I was beyond frustrated. Not only did the deer run away, but every animal within a five mile radius did as well.

Great.

Hojo's usually calm face became saddened. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I got worried since you weren't at your house and it's the day of the reaping. I thought they took you earlier," he innocently said. I sighed as I realized the situation.

"I'm sorry, Hojo. It's just that since it's the day of the reaping I wanted to get some early hunting in. My name is in there a lot, so there's a high possibility I'll be a tribute," I said. Hojo gave me a hug.

"My name is in there way more times than yours. I was scared that I wouldn't see you again," he whispered. I returned his hug and then he pulled back. "Let's go back together, okay?"

I nodded and we walked back to the district, after making a quick stop to the tree.

Hojo went to his house and I went to mine. When I walked in, my mother was fixing my little brother, Sota's, shirt. Sota did not look happy at all. It was his first year to be in the reaping.

"Sis! I don't want to go!" he shouted. My mother patted his head and told him it'll be okay. He didn't listen and ran to hug me.

"Sis!" he cried. I patted his back and he let go of me, sniffling. I fished through my pocket and held out a small necklace in front of his face. The necklace was nothing more than a piece of string and a purple marble attached. "What is this?" he asked, examining the necklace in his hands.

"It's a good luck charm. If you wear it, you'll be safe," I said. His brown eyes lit up and he put the necklace on. Sota seemed happy until the bell rang throughout the town. It was time to go.

Sota clung onto me and we walked into town square. A Peacekeeper took him off of me so we could check in. After that was down, we were all separated by gender. Luckily, I could see Sota from where I was standing. I could see his tense shoulders shaking.

On the stage in the front of the square, a girl about my age walked to the microphone. She had long silver hair and wore a white kimono. She looked like a ghost.

"Hello everyone and welcome to the thirteenth annual Hunger Games. My name is Kanna and I will be picking the tributes from District Twelve. May the odds be ever in your favor," the girl said in a light and sad voice. She looked at sounded like a ghost.

Two people wheeled in large bowls filled to the brink with paper. It had every District Twelve child's name in it. Kanna put her hand in the bowl with the girl's names and pulled out Eri. She used to be a friend of mine back in preschool, but we could never get along. So it looks like I'm safe for this year.

Then Kanna put her hand in the boy bowl. She pulled out a piece of paper and read it into the microphone.

"Sota Higurashi."

Looks like I'm not safe this year after all.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**So my first InuYasha fanfic and I guess technically my first Hunger Games one as well. InuYasha is my favorite anime in the whole world, so I plan to put my best efforts into this story. ^_^ I never connected the two until I saw Hunger Games int he crossover section of InuYasha on FF. When I thought about how it would work, my mind went ahbdlofhlafhg. It works totally well! Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this story. ^_^**

**Until next time, sayonara~!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Sota Higurashi."

I couldn't believe it. Sota, in his first year, got picked. Out of the hundreds of boys, why was his name picked?

I searched for Sota in the crowd and he was staring at me with wide, shocked eyes that screamed for help. Two peacekeepers took him by the arms and started walking him to the stage.

"No! Sota!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. There was no way I would let him be taken. I ran towards my brother, only to be stopped by two more peacekeepers.

"Let me go! Sota! Sota!" I yelled, trying to break free.

"Sis!" he called back in tears.

"Leave me go! I volunteer as tribute!" I yelled.

The whole district was silent. Kanna looked at me expressionlessly.

"How can you be a tribute if you are not a boy?" she asked coldly through the microphone.

"Leave him go and I'll be the female tribute. Pick some other boy, not him!" I yelled on the verge of tears myself.

The townspeople mumbled to each other and Eri looked somewhat relieved that she wouldn't be the female tribute. Sota just looked even more terrified.

"I suppose it's not breaking the rules. It's only a restart on our part," Kanna said. She pointed at me and ordered the peacekeepers to drag me up. As we passed, Sota yelled my name over and over. Hojo came from the crowd and took him away.

On the stage, I could see all the terrified faces in the crowd. "What is your name?" Kanna asked.

"Kagome Higurashi."

"Now I will pick a new male tribute," she said, putting her hand in the bowl again. I didn't care who was chosen. Sota was safe for now. I'd have to kill whoever was chosen to return to him.

"InuYasha."

Now winning the Hunger Games seemed much more impossible.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**...I thought this would be a lot longer...oh well! ^_^ Next chapter will be a flashback type thingy with InuYasha and Kagome, so be prepared. ^_^ I'll be updating this and my other ongoing stories a lot between now and Halloween, so keep your eyes peeled. ^_^**

**Until next time, sayonara~!**


	3. Chapter 3

The news was hard on us all. All of our loved ones died in one accident. When the men were working in the mines one morning, someone set off an explosive and in the small shaft, everyone was dead within seconds. The explosive was so massive, even people near the mines were either killed or severely injured.

I was in my classroom, listening to other people's conversations instead of the lessons we heard day after day after day. There was an extremely loud crash sound that shook the classroom. Had the sound not been heard, we would have thought it was an earthquake.

Everyone was so terrified; no one dared to move a muscle, except me. I darted out of the room. My father was in there. I already knew what his fate was. I just didn't want to believe it.

I ran and ran out of the school and down the streets. Merchants and their consumers started running away from the mines or just stood there in utter shock. Not a single soul in the district could believe it.

There was a thick cloud of smoke in the sky above. It looked so thick that if you took one breath of it, you'd die right then and there. Maybe that's how some of the passersby met their end.

When I was at the mines, I couldn't even recognize it anymore. First of all, smoke was still seeping through the shaft so it was impossible to see it anyway. But the areas I did see were unrecognizable. I couldn't identify parts, both from mine equipment and body parts.

Limbs and bodily fluids cover the ground ahead of me. There were even decapitated heads on the sides of the street. The saddest part was I recognized one of them as my father.

Everything was numb. I couldn't scream or cry or run again. All I could do was fall to my knees and stare at the scene.

I wasn't the only one who fell either. Not too far away from me was him.

InuYasha.

I remember seeing him often as a child. No one hung out with him because of his unnatural white hair. Chemicals from the mine had that effect, but no one had seen that on a kid. His mother died giving birth to him, so he only knew his father and half-brother who lived in another district. His father and my father were good friends, so I got to know him some.

InuYasha sat there, gaping at the smoke. His eyes were full of a fire. There were no signs of tears but there never were in his eyes. It was strange, but in that moment, I sort of pitied him a bit. He couldn't cry. Crying may be a bad thing, but it can help get out those feelings that need to leave.

I stood up and walked over to him. "How can this happen?" I whispered.

InuYasha looked at me. "This was bound to happen eventually. Its way too dangerous down there to begin with," he said.

There was a moment of silence. "I guess it was." Tears formed in my eyes rapidly and I began crying. I buried my face in my knees and sobbed quietly. A foreign hand rubbed my back and I looked up to see it belonged to InuYasha.

"Don't cry, Kagome."

The way he said my name so casually just made the whole situation seem not as bad. It was still terrible, but it was enough to get me to stop crying.

InuYasha stood up and slowly we walked to my house. The walk was so quiet. Neither of us dared to talk after our loses. We just walked to my house where he dropped me off and left.

After the funeral, InuYasha came to visit me to see how I was doing. I was okay. It was Sota I was worried about. He was heartbroken, even though he was too young to even know who his dad was.

InuYasha and I began to talk to each other my casually. He talked at school, walked home together, and he even went hunting with me once. He's really good at it.

After a while, I found myself being most comfortable around him and only him. That's when I realized it.

I was in love with InuYasha.

I couldn't tell if he was in love with me too. I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to risk our friendship.

The day I was ready to tell him how I felt, it was the last.

I ran to his house in the early morning to see him wake up. But, to my surprise, he was already awake. On his porch, he sat there with another girl I knew: Kikyo.

She and I never got along and after I got there, I never wanted to. InuYasha was talking to her and she glanced at me from the corner of her wicked eyes. A smirk crossed her lips as she leaned in and kissed him mid-sentence.

I wanted nothing more than to kill her right on the spot, but not as much as InuYasha. He didn't push her away. He returned the kiss.

Like on the day my father died, I ran away to my house. Everything was numb again. I lost him. He may have still viewed me as a friend, but I felt as though a huge gap came between.

A gap that would never be filled. Ever.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**So yeah...flashback :D...I got nothing else to say...so next chapter we return to the main story! :D**

**Until next time, sayonara~!**


	4. Chapter 4

InuYasha was brought up to the stage by two peacekeepers He looked at me with familiar eyes full of concern. I glared at him, not caring if he was scared or not.

"Please shake hands now," Kanna said. InuYasha held out his hand with a sigh and I reluctantly took it. "These are the District Twelve tributes," Kanna said. Everyone in the crowd put their hands together at their chests like they were praying. They weren't praying for a safe arrival back home.

They were praying for a painless death for us.

The peacekeepers took us inside the Capitol building where we were to say our final goodbyes.

Thankfully, InuYasha and I were sent to different rooms. That was unnecessary though. We both knew no one would come for him. Maybe the mayor, but that was unlikely.

The door opened and three people walked in, my mother, Sota, and Hojo. The only people I knew would show up.

My mother stood at the door with disbelief and grief on her face. Sota ran to hug me and Hojo stared at me with depressed eyes. "Sis! Why did you do that?! You're gonna be killed, sis!" Sota cried out.

I knelt down to him. "I won't die. I'm tougher than that," I said with a shaky voice. Who was I kidding? I didn't even believe me.

"Here sis." Sota grabbed my hand and gave me the necklace with the purple jewel on it. "For good luck." I put the necklace on and it somehow made me feel better.

Hojo walked over to me and hugged me real tight. "Hojo…can't…breath," I tried to say.

"Don't say that. I never want to hear you say that. You'll come back right? Promise me you will," he said. He looked and sounded like he was about to cry. I nodded and then I started crying. My mother was the next to walk over to me.

"You were very brave out there. I know you'll make it back. Be sure to eat well and take care of yourself," she said. She sounded like I was going on a school trip.

"Okay mom," I said.

The door opened and a peacekeeper walked in.

"It's time to go, Kagome Higurashi," he said.

I took one last look at everyone and said the only thing left to say.

"I'll see you all soon."

* * *

**Author's Note**

**...It's too hard trying to keep up with 6 stories at once...TT^TT Looks like the odds aren't in my favor...lame attempt at a joke...I'll stop now...TT^TT**

**Until next time, sayonara~!**


	5. Chapter 5

The peacekeepers led InuYasha and I to the train that would take us to the Capitol and eventually our deaths if we weren't lucky. The townspeople had made their way here and looked as depressed as usual. We were pushed and shoved down a narrow pathway to the door. I took one final look at District Twelve before entering the train.

The inside was twenty times bigger than my whole house. There were long windows along the wall and black sofas lining up against it. On the other wall, there was a long table with different kinds of foods we aren't so lucky to get. InuYasha and I sat down a fair distance apart.

"How are you feeling?" InuYasha asked after the train started moving.

"Why do you care?" I shot coldly. I couldn't stand being in the same room as him, but I couldn't move. The nervousness was overwhelming.

"Kagome, what's been up with you lately? Did I do something wrong?" he asked. Oh, like he doesn't know. The scum…

Kanna came into the room which was a surprise. She looked at us and said, "Your mentor is here."

A mentor is a person who has won previous Hunger Games in our district. He has to teach other tributes how to survive. "Who is our mentor?" I asked.

The door opened and a tall man with black hair tied in a ponytail stumbled into the room. He looked at the long table of food and asked Kanna where the sake was. She pointed to the end of the table and he stumbled across the room.

"This is your mentor, Miroku," she said. Miroku took a bottle of sake and drank directly from it. He looked at me and squinted his eyes.

"We have a girl this year? A pretty girl? Hehe, that's new. If she's strong, she just might win," he slurred. I leaned back against my seat and InuYasha growled.

"How do we win the Games?" InuYasha asked. Miroku turned towards the other tribute.

"Ooh, feisty are we? You'll find out in the arena," Miroku said.

"What the hell kind of mentor are you?! You're supposed to help us!" I yelled, standing up. Miroku chuckled as he walked over towards me.

"One that'll save your sorry ass," Miroku said. He put a hand on my shoulder that soon traveled to my ass before I slapped him across the face, leaving an easily noticeable hand print. "You're strong, girl. I like it," he said before leaving the room.

This is going to be one long ride.


	6. Chapter 6

InuYasha and I sat in silence when Miroku left. "What kind of mentor just tells the tributes they'll find out in the arena?! What a jerk! He slapped me too! He's the worst!" I yelled.

"Calm down, Kagome. We both know none of the tributes in our district have won except for him. There's no point in doing it anymore. We'll die like the other nineteen tributes and one will be the victor," InuYasha said.

I ran over to him and slapped him across the face as hard as I could. "I don't care if you die, but I'm not going without a fight that'll leave them on the verge of death. Unlike you InuYasha, I have something to return to."

InuYasha grabbed my wrist and twisted it, making me bend over. "Do you think you can kill twenty-one people, Kagome? You've only fought and killed animals."

"It's the same thing. They're just bigger and easier targets."

"Not when they're from the Career districts. I bet they're animals are more fiercer than any bear you'll ever fight, that is if you get to fight one after this.

I was tempted to slap him again, but our so-called mentor stumbled back into the room.

"Stop talking about animals. It's so annoying," he sighed.

"If you're not going to tell us how to win, just take your drinks and leave please," I snarled. Miroku looked at me and then took a bottle of whiskey and poured it into a glass.

"Here's how you win. You survive," he simple said.

Survive? How exactly do you survive against twenty-one killers?!

"How?"

"You run and hunt. Don't trust anyone, especially the Careers. Find water and high ground. If you hear anything suspicious, run like hell. That's how I did it," he explained.

Somehow, it all seemed way too easy.

"You make it sound like a game of you can survive the longest," InuYasha scoffed.

"That's because it is. Make one mistake and it's all over," Miroku said.

Would I make a mistake once I got there?


	7. Chapter 7

Not much was said after that as expected. Kanna walked into our room and told us we were almost there.

All I heard was almost dead.

The whole room became pitch black and I screamed. Were we going to crash and die before we even got there?

"Kagome…we're in a tunnel," InuYasha sighed.

"I knew that," I said after realizing how stupid I must have been.

The light returned and the faces of what seemed like millions of people were just outside our window. They were all in strange, expensive clothing. Their hair was neon colors and their faces were plastered with paint and other substances. Were these looks considered attractive?

"Here we are again," Miroku mumbled to Kanna.

Kanna nodded and led us off the train once it stopped. Everyone in the crowd was yelling our names and trying to touch us. It was as if we were cats that everyone wanted to pet.

InuYasha and I were taken to different room inside the City Hall building and were separated once again. A peacekeeper took me to a room with three people in Capitol dress.

Just my luck.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**...Well damn...I didn't think it'd be that short...I think this might be the shortest chapter for anything I've ever written on FF...Just wow...I'm amazed by my own laziness with this...(^_^"')**

**Until next time, sayonara~!**


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you Kagome?" one of the people asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. She looked pretty normal, but her taste of clothing said otherwise. She wore a short black kimono that just barely covered her ass and a vivid sash with a tiger pattern. The bow on the back was long enough to reach her ankles, making it look like she had two tails. She had short black hair behind a tiger patterned headband. Her face was covered in white powder and red paint was on her lips and black paint was around her eyes.

I nodded. The three of them gave me sympathetic looks. They knew I wouldn't last long and felt sorry for me.

They pitied me.

"Well let's get to work. It looks like we have a lot to do before Kaede gets here," a small man said. He looked the least normal. His body from what I could see was a shade of green that reminded me of vomit. He had bulging yellow eyes and had a black fez on his head. He wore a brown kimono over his scrawny body.

"I'll start washing the body," the last person said. It was a man that looked older than one hundred. He too had eyes bulging out of their sockets. A green and black striped kimono hung loosely from his skinny bones.

"Don't make it sound like she's dead, Totosai!" the girl yelled.

"Shut up, Yura. Jaken, bring me a bucket of cold water," the old man said to the green man.

Jaken left and returned with a large tub of water. Yura stood behind me and began undressing me.

"Hey!" I yelled.

"Calm down. How else are we going to clean you up?" Yura whispered.

I stayed silent as they undressed, washed, shaved, cut, plucked, and dried my body. I felt like plastic doll afterwards. I didn't even feel like I was in my own body.

Totosai laid me on the table and the three of left to get this Kaede person.

An old lady walked into my room, looking confused. Maybe she was senile and entered the wrong room.

"Are you Kagome?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice. I nodded. She smiled and brought me in a tight hug.

Who is she?


End file.
